Great Lakes - Attention Royal Oak, Michigan cyclists

Please attend Monday's City Commission meeting if you can:

If you live in or bike through Royal Oak, please join the Royal Oak City Environment Committee, the Sierra Club, and concerned local bicyclists as we talk to city officials about the need to improve bicycle and pedestrian safety in Royal Oak.

Last year Royal Oak was number one in Oakland County for car-bicycle accidents, according to Michigan Traffic Crash Facts, http://www.michigantrafficcrashfacts.org/.

The recent death of Jacqueline Robinson, who was killed by a hit-and-run driver in Royal Oak while biking to work, underscores the need to improve bicycle safety in Royal Oak.

Our goal is to convince the city that we would benefit from writing a "Non-Motorized Transportation Plan."

Please join us at the following public meetings. At each meeting we will speak during public comment to explain what a "Non-Motorized Transportation Plan" would involve and to ask Royal Oak residents and elected officials to support the idea. Even if you do not want to speak you can stand with us, or simply state your name and address and that you want Royal Oak to adopt a Non-Motorized Transportation Plan.

Royal Oak City Commission
Monday, November 10
7:30 pm
Royal Oak City Hall, 211 Williams, Royal Oak, MI 48168

Royal Oak Downtown Development Authority
Wednesday, November 19
4:00 pm
Royal Oak City Hall, 211 Williams, Royal Oak, MI 48168

Royal Oak School Board
Thursday, December 11
7:00 pm
1123 Lexington Blvd., Royal Oak, MI 48073

Please write letters to the editor and call on Royal Oak to take steps to improve bike and pedestrian safety.

Royal Oak Mirror ksmith@hometownlife.com
Royal Oak Review clangrill@candgnews.com
Royal Oak Daily Tribune editor@dailytribune.com
Oakland Press vop@oakpress.com

Note that Monday's meeting is 7:30PM, not 7PM as originally planned. I've updated the original post.

Todd,

This was an inspiring event for me. Being the idealist that I am, it has grounded me in the reality of what needs to be done in my own little city.

Thanks, and that was a great series of presentations. You did a great job!

By the way, I did not know John (Continental Bike Shop) was a Royal Oak resident.

Thanks for coming out last night, Jose. We had a great turnout and that's apparently what did the trick for us. I think most had left when we finally came up on the agenda for action. The commission anointed us a bicycle task force that will work the the city to develop some recommended outcomes. My thoughts are to pursue a bicycle friendly community (BFC) designation and non-motorized plan. In order to receive a BFC designation, the city would have to do a number of things to make it more bicycle friendly.

The Detroit News and Daily Tribune have wrapped up articles for tomorrow's publications.

Here's a brief update on our recent success in at Monday's meeting.
http://www.m-bike.org/blog/2008/11/14/royal-oak-forms-a-bicycle-task-force

Here's another update on our efforts to improve biking in Royal Oak, Michigan (http://www.m-bike.org/blog/2008/11/23/push-for-better-biking-in-royal-oak-continues).

So far, so good.